1 / 15

Unanswered Prayer

Unanswered Prayer. Doubt. Doubt breaks the faith connection which is essential to answered prayer Doubt says “God, I do not really believe that you are going to keep Your Word” Doubt puts us at our senses as the ultimate arbiter of all things Doubt leads to us being double-minded

theresao
Download Presentation

Unanswered Prayer

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Unanswered Prayer

  2. Doubt • Doubt breaks the faith connection which is essential to answered prayer • Doubt says “God, I do not really believe that you are going to keep Your Word” • Doubt puts us at our senses as the ultimate arbiter of all things • Doubt leads to us being double-minded • We end up receiving nothing from the Lord • Matthew 14:30-31 • Matthew 21:21,22 • Mark 11:23 • 1 Timothy 2:8 • James 1:5-8

  3. Not Asking • We have not because we ask not • Not asking - or asking very vaguely is a defense mechanism to avoid disappointment and stems from unbelief in the goodness of God • Asking is a clear and definite process of placing our requests before God ‘with thanksgiving’ • We should ask for a specific positive godly outcome e.g. ‘that I may be healed and made whole’ • Leave the method to the Lord! • James 4:2,3 • Matthew 7:7-11, 21:21,22 • Luke 11:8-13 • John 4:10, 14:13,14 • John 15:7,16; 16;23,24 • Ephesians 3:20 • 1 John 3:22, 5:14,15 • Philippians 4:6,7

  4. Covetousness / Worldly Prayers • Covetousness = idolatry • Scheming to get things • Focus on worldly things and sensual pleasures • God becomes simply a spiritual mechanism for self-gratification • Not a holy Lord and Savior but a quick fix idol. • James 4:2,3 • 1 John 2:15-17 • Ephesians 5:3-5 • Colossians 3:5

  5. Mean-Spiritedness & Unforgiveness • Husbands who are mean and who lack understanding toward their wives (or vice-versa) do not get their prayers answered • Unforgiving people do not get their sins forgiven • Quarrelsome, squabbling people who seek to get things by fighting instead of asking from God do not receive • Rule of Thumb: God treats us as we treat others • 1 Peter 3:7 • James 4:2 • Mark 11:25,26 • Matthew 6:12-15 • Matthew 18:21-35 • Luke 16:19-31

  6. Unrighteousness • God is ‘against those who do evil’ • Having a character that is deeply inclined to evil stops prayer being answered • This is different from the occasional sin that God easily forgives (1 John 1:7-9) • An evil heart is like the Temple which was supposed to be a place of prayer but had become ‘ a den of thieves’ • The Kingdom is blocked to the wicked and the unrepentant (1 Cor 6:9,10) • 1 Peter 3:10-12 • 1 Corinthians 6:9,10 • Matthew 21:13 • Luke 20:47 • Acts 8:19-24

  7. Hypocrisy • Hypocrisy = hupo (under)+ crites (mask) • Hypocrites are mask wearers – inwardly are unrighteous, but outwardly they are respectable. • God looks on the heart and will not answer the prayers of hypocrites • We need to be “real” and honest with God - as was the case with the repentant publican • Matthew 6:5-8 • Matthew 23:23-39 • Luke 20:46,47 • Luke 18:9-14

  8. Pride! • The search for earthly status is the opposite of the spirit of humble prayer • If we exalt ourselves God will humble us • If we humble ourselves God will exalt us • Those who ‘become as a little child’ inherit the Kingdom of heaven – being open, trusting and un-pompous • God gives grace to the humble • Rule of Thumb: We only receive as much of God’s grace as we think we require. • Luke 18:9-14 • Matthew 18:1-4 • Matthew 23:5-12 • Luke 14:7-11 • James 4:6-10

  9. Disunity, Squabbling & Wrath • Unity strengthens prayer while disunity destroys it • Disunity means we are on the wrong spiritual level – that is we have become carnal not spiritual • We need to confess our sin and fix up our relationships before we enter into serious prayer and intercession • Our attitude is our altitude • 1 Timothy 2:8 • Matthew 18:18-20 • James 4:2,3 • 1 Corinthians 3:1-3 • Matthew 5:20-26

  10. Lack Of Persistence In Prayer • Persistence is a sign of true faith and ‘holy desperation’ • Many of the healing miracles came to people who ‘cried out’ persistently • Unbelief gives up and walks away • Faith says “God will come through – I just know it! • Luke 18:1-8 • Luke 11:5-13 • Romans 4:19-21, 12:12 • 2 Kings 13:14-19 • 1 Corinthians 15:58 • Ephesians 6:18

  11. Not In God’s Will Or Timing • Some things are not ‘righteous’ – that is outside God’s moral will • Some things are simply not for you personally, you are not trained, gifted or ready for them or they are not assigned to you - that is not in God’s specific will • Other things have a ‘spiritual timing’ that you must wait for as God’s Word comes to pass – that is not in God’s sovereign will • 1 John 5:14,15 • 1 John 3:22 • 1 Corinthians 12:27-31 • Romans 12:3 • 2 Corinthians 10;13 • Jude 1:6 • Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 • Psalm 105:17-22 • Jeremiah 45:1-5

  12. “Weak Hands” - Not Seizing The Day • When God is moving in amazing and prophetic ways we need to ‘get on board’ as Joshua did in ordering the sun and moon to stand still • Now is the day of salvation • If we get ‘tired’ or just miss the moment entirely we will see defeat and not victory • Exodus 17:9-13 • Joshua 10:6-15 • 2 Kings 13:14-19 • Matthew 11:20-30 • 2 Corinthians 6:1,2

  13. Not Using Our Authority In Christ • God has given us authority (see last lecture) so that we can use it for the glory of His Name and for the building up of the Body of Christ • We must be born-again , bible-believing Christians • We must act in the name of Jesus and speak with decisive and faith-filled authority • Acts 19:13-17 • Acts 3:1-8 • Matthew 17:14-20

  14. Lack of Thankfulness & Joy • Gratitude is the heart of prayer and of the Abba Father-Son relationship • We are commanded to always be thankful and rejoicing - as a clear sign of our faith • God is light – that is He is always positive in nature and the Christian should be full of light as well – in gratitude, thanksgiving and praise • Negativity and unbelief go hand in hand • Thanksgiving helps us to create the positive faith picture ‘of the mountain moving’ that is essential to powerful prayer • Philippians 4:6,7 • Ephesians 1:16, 5:20 • Colossians 2:6,7; 3:15-17, 4:2 • 1 Thessalonians 5:18 • 1 John 1:5, James 1:17

  15. Sleeping Saints • Christians need to ‘watch’ and ‘be alert’ in prayer • We are to be faithful, sober, alert and ‘people of the light’ – not of darkness, drunkenness and carousing • This includes both current events and the Second Coming • It may also include long times of prayer such as praying through the night watches • Luke 21:34-36 • Matthew 26:38-41 • Matthew 24:42,43; 25:1-13 • Mark 13:32-37, 14:37,38 • 1 Corinthians 16:13 • Ephesians 6:18 • 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8 • Colossians 4:2 • 1 Peter 4:7

More Related